RELIEF SOUGHT.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20519, 22 January 1935, Page 4

RELIEF SOUGHT.

Unemployed Besiege the Prime Minister. RATIONS FOR THE NEEDY. The Prime Minister (Mr Forbes), after hearing from a crowd of unemployed the Government Buildings vesterdav afternoon, wrote to the chairman of the Metropolitan Relief Association, Mr George Harper asking that funds in hand be disbursed to necessitous cases. . The Prime Minister was held up tor some time after receiving a deputation, and it appears that, whatever the leaders of the men had planned, others were determined that the Prime Minister should be delayed when on his way to take farpwdl of the Duke of Gloucester. The delay, however, was not serious, and Mr Forbes was able to take part in the official ceremony. The Prime Minister had agreed to meet a deputation of five at 4 p.m., and he kept his promise, hearing their demand for art immediate increase of 10s a week to all relief workers and an ultimate increase to 14s a day on all standard works. He gave a promise to investigate the position immediately he returned to Wellington, and to confer with the Minister of Employment and the Unemployment Board, pointing out that he was anxious to relieve hardship, but that all sides of the case had to be considered. Stairway Blocked.

This promise was accepted by the deputation, which just before five o’clock. minutes later, as Mr Forbes was £bout to leave the building, a crowd of nearly 300 men and half a dozen women swanned into the main passage on the first floor, blocking the stairway.' When Mr Forbes appeared, Mr E. 'A Braithwaite, one leaders of the deputation, was feSjplaining to the crowd, the members"6f which asserted that they had come to hear the Prime Minister’s answer, what had taken place at the deputation. Mr Braithwaite’s precis of the proceedings did not s~em to be satisfactory to those assembled, and anpther member. Mr A. E. Armstrong, repeated the story. “ We want food,” cried out a lusty voice from the rear, and Mr Forbes explained, amid interruptions, that he was as deeply concerned about the plight of those without necessities as anyone, but that in a big question affecting the revenues of the Unemployment Fund he could not give an immediate answer.

Despite the efforts of the leaders of the deputation, the crowd would not remain silent, and a strong voice from the rear moved that the Prime Min ister, accompanied by Mr Armstrong, should get into touch with the officials of the Metropolitan Relief Association and order the issue of rations at once Local Funds.

Mr Forbes was a further hearing as he explained that he had no authority to commit anyone to the expenditure of local funds, but offered to do his best to get into touch with local officials and ask them to make a grant to the cases in urgent need of help. The cry went up that all must be given a grant, but Mr Forbes declared that the circumstances of no two men were exactly the same, and he would only intercede on behalf of those in a desperate condition. With this promise, the crowd waited while the Prime Minister, accompanied by the members of the deputation, went to a telephone to try to get into touch with local officials. The Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.), the deputy Mayor (the Rev J. K. Archer), Mr George Harper and other officials could not be found, despite half an hour’s telephoning, so the Prime Minister wrote a letter to Mr Harper, asking that assistance be given immediately to the necessitous cases.

In the meantime, Inspector Alan Cameron, Senior-Sergeant J. Fox and half a dozen policemen had arrived, the constables being left outside the building. Beyond singing the “ Red Flag” through once and beginning to sing something about solidarity, an effort which broke down because no one knew all the words, there was no other demonstration, and the crowd tilled in the time by discussing their grievances. When Mr Armstrong announced the contents of the Prime Minister’s letter, there was some applause, and the crowd filed quietly out of the building, permitting Mr Forbes to precede them. Little notice was taken of the police, whose tact in keeping out of sight was a factor in maintaining the peaceful nature of the proceedings. I he whole of the men and women present returned to Latimer Square to await the result of Mr Forb.ss letter to Mr Harper. Rations to be Issued. When the contents of Mr Forbes’s letter were communicated to Mr Harper, he declined to comply with the request. The unemployed held a further meeting in the Trades Ilall last evening, and alter a long discussion of Mr Harper's action, a deputation left to interview Mr Forbes and Mr Sullivan, who were attending the Pioneer Amateur Sports Club’s smoke concert in the Jellicoe Hall. Ihe deputation was successful in seeing Mr Sullivan late in the evening, and he agreed to the issue of rations in necessitous eases.